Khadas Tone Board Hi-Res Audio USB DAC Based in Chip 32-bit ES9038Q2M XMOS XU208 External Sound Card with S/PDIF Input RCA Audio Cable (Male-Female)

I've been curious about this little DAC board ever since I read what Amir had to say about it in Audio Science Review a year or two ago. The photos don't do it justice; it's tiny. Back in October of 2018, it was the 8th highest performing DAC that he had measured. It is still the best performing DAC he has ever measured for under USD 100. Pretty impressive.Although entirely usable, this is a product for hobbyists. There's no remote control and no display. The white status light only indicates that the DAC is receiving power (no colors for different sampling rates, etc.). No power supply is provided, and some assembly is required. I ordered the bundle that includes the optional acrylic case and USB cable, highly recommended for the extra $5 (at the time of this writing). Note: this product is NOT compatible with SBCs like the Raspberry Pi: it is a stand-alone USB or S/PDIF DAC.Although spartan, the Tone Board is surprisingly featureful. The ES9038Q2M chip is used in many more expensive DACs, including the Allo Katana, Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital, and SMSL M8A. The Tone Board's USB input supports PCM sampling rates from 16-bits, 44.1 kHz up to 32-bits, 384 kHz (verified…anything higher produces noise on macOS), and DSD64 to DSD256. There's also an S/PDIF input (75Ω RCA), which supports PCM up to 24-bits, 192 kHz. Update: DSD does not seem to be supported on the S/PDIF input, sadly.The "youyeetoo" case that came with my bundle was not difficult to assemble, once I peeled the brown paper backing off each side of the ten (10) plastic parts. That's twenty stickers…glad that I didn't cut my nails this week! No instructions were included (as others have said), but I could have assembled it easily without googling for a YouTube video. The only tricky bit is working out where to use the short vs. long screws. Pro-tip: use the long screws for the four corners and save the short ones to attach the Tone Board to the bottom of the case. There's a standoff that needs to go between the left and right RCA jacks. These were spaced too close to use the provided hex nut on my board, so I just screwed the standoff to the bottom of the case without the nut. The eight screws that go into the bottom of the case are not countersunk, and no self-adhesive feet are provided. If you don't add your own feet after assembly, the case is likely to scratch whatever you set it on. Fortunately, I have plenty of stick-on feet, but you may wish to add a set to your order if you don't have some lying around.Once it's all put together, it's a smart little package. The provided USB-C to USB-A cable is supple, fabric-wrapped, and seems to be of decent quality. The RCA jacks are beefy and look like they belong on an audio component costing at least 10x this price. Spacing is wide enough that I can use audiophile locking RCA cables without the plugs touching. This is uncommon at this price-point.As to sound, well, I'm still letting it run-in, but no complaints so far. I'll give it a turn in my primary system this weekend, but for now, it's feeding a pair of IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors. While these are quite nice, I'm confident that I'm only enjoying a fraction of the raw dynamic range available from the Tone Board. The outputs are a little hot (in terms of voltage swing), so I had to reduce the levels in my media player software (Roon) by 6 dB to avoid overdriving the input stage of the iLoud monitors. With that adjustment (not the fault of the Tone Board), the soundstage, tone, and dynamics are remarkable.Things change fast in the DAC world, so for the Tone Board to still king of the "sub-$100 roost" after a few years is, indeed, impressive. If you have a few more clams to spend, the SMAL Sanskrit 10th Mk2 is a more "complete" product with display and remote control. The same goes for the TOPPING E30. I have not tried either yet, but they are on my short-list to explore.If you have pair of powered monitors or a decent analog headphone amp connected to your laptop, the Tone Board is worth checking out to upgrade your sound. Don't expect miracles, but the improvement in listening engagement is something that you will appreciate over time, especially if the quality of sound is something that spins your propeller.From what I understand, the latest product created by the designer of the Tone Board is the Soncoz SGD1 DAC. It's nearly 5x the Tone Board's price, but if you're looking for another 10% improvement in performance, plus more inputs, outputs, and features, this could be your upgrade path.Update: The sound after settling in…what I can say, but wow! Tonal balance is spot-on, and the resolving power–ability to hear all parts of a piece of music–is beyond remarkable. Of the 7+ DACs in my collection, this is currently my favorite. There's a lot to like, regardless of price, but especially at ~$100. What are you waiting for??!

Sounds a bit livelier in the midrange than my roughly 20 year old M-Audio 2496 DAC audio card, which is also 24 bits with 32 bit processing and was a standard for many years. The Khadas is the cheapest way I know of to get the ES9038Q2M chip. Note that it does not come with the big connector, in case you were thinking of wiring it into another project. I guess that with the connector, this board is sold as a part to manufacturers of more expensive audio equipment.You have to buy the case separately. The hardest part of building the case was peeling the paper off the plexiglass, that actually took some time.

The Khadas simply is beast in performance, with a lower distortion and higher dynamic range than anything remotely near the same price. The sound is really good, accurate, good bass and top end and a nice full midrange. Used with my best speakers, it sounds very good It also sounds better than some more expensive options I've compared it with. For the money, it's an excellent solution in my humble opinion,I made a DIY plastic box and it is already working.

Very impressed. At first listen I felt the sound a little bright for my taste. But after a day or so, I would not go back to my other dacs. I think I was hearing greater detail and interpreting as brightness. No listening fatigue. Great value for the price.

Out of the many audio DAC's that I have this one sounds the best. It sounds clearer deeper with more detail or definition. The draw back is that it has only one type of input (USB). With no coax or optical input it is more difficult to connect it to something other than the computer it sounds great however. I am very glad i purchased it.

Excelente DAC con una calidad de audio única! 🎧🎶👌

I review audio gear on YouTube, and probably know a thing or two about dacs. The problem with most dacs is that there are too many variants. Topping and SMSL, for example, have so many options that it gets difficult to decide which product might suit you. Then pile on top the various other Chinese brands and high-priced audiophile darlings, and it's a muddled mess of possibilities.But all of these dacs do exactly the same thing. Yes, there are some tonal differences and features will vary. But for a new audiophile, or one who is particular in what he/she wants, the typical dac market is overly saturated.This is where the Khadas Tone Board comes into play. This product is plug-and-play, provides decoding of high resolution audio, and is one smooth-sounding dac. The Tone Board seems to have a slight bass emphasis and treble roll-off. This results in a relaxed experience. Compared to something like the Monolith THX Portable or Earmen TR-Amp, the Tone Board has less treble energy and provides less "tinny" or "metallic" sound, particularly in the mid-range.Compared to the SMSL Sanskrit Mk2 and Topping E30, I think those products are probably marginally more neutral. They have slightly greater treble energy and more neutral bass.The big differentiating factor, obviously, is the Tone Board's design. This is intended for DIY. You can certainly plug the board into your PC and be quite happy. But anyone who wants to build a small-form-factor PC (especially for Ubuntu), the Tone Board is a fantastic option. Those who want to build their own dream dac, the Tone Board does give you plenty of freedom grow.Khadas offers a remote, LCD screen, add-on boards, and cases to increase the complexity of the dac. You can keep it as a desktop solution, or buy a battery mod that will make the unit work on-the-go. The overall features are limited only by your wallet and imagination.I don't think the Tone Board is value for most audiophiles, especially new hobbyists. You get a fully enclosed unit with an LCD screen and a remote for nearly the same price through the SMSL and Topping options. The Tone Board really is for those who like tinkering, and are willing to experiment with the overall functionality.This is a great product which shows that competent use of components results in stellar performance.

He probado mas el DAC ,anteriormente no era posible instalar el driver pero al parecer era un error del S.O. y no de Khadas, ya tengo los drivers instalados y aunque no he podido actualizar el firmware funcioana muy bien y con un sonido muy natural y nítido.

Was ok for about 6 months then it just started dropping connection with the computer. It would re-connect then 5 minutes later it would drop again! Checked everything and it’s the DAC. It’s useless now! Disappointed!

Scheda audio davvero performante.

Good sounding DAC, which lives up to the hype and reviews.The case isn't great and lack of any assembly instructions - and quite a lot of mounting options, makes assembly a bit hit and miss. Buy the DAC, but perhaps think twice about the case options.

A very capable DAC, does its job perfectly. No drivers issues on both Mac and Windows, no sound noise whatsoever.Can recommend.